Singapore proposes regulations on 26 hazardous substances

In October 2022 the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore presented a list of 26 chemicals and chemical groups it proposes to control as hazardous substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (EPM(HS)) Regulations. Previously, these 26 substances have been regulated by Singapore Customs under the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act (CWPA) and Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Regulations (CWPR). However, the NEA intends to strengthen the regulatory controls over the import, export, manufacture, offer for sale, transport, purchase, storage and/or use of these chemicals to ensure that they are managed in an environmentally sound manner.

The presentation comes after a three-week public consultation that took place during summer 2022. The respondents were generally supportive of the proposed control of the 26 chemicals as hazardous substances. The NEA intends to announce the regulatory changes formally by December 2022 and the changes are expected to be implemented 6 months later by June 2023.

Stakeholders must possess a valid hazardous substance license or permit to perform the specified activities involving the chemicals proposed to be controlled by June 2023. The licenses and permits will be available from 1 January 2023. Companies that wish to import/export, store, use, and/or supply any hazardous substance controlled under the EPMA must apply for a Hazardous Substance License. Any person that wishes to purchase, store, and/or use any hazardous substance controlled under the EPMA must apply for a Hazardous Substance Permit.

The substances on the list include neurotoxins such as Sarin, Samon, Saxitoxin, and Ricin and other warfare agents such as lewisites but also substances with industrial usage. In order to balance the regulatory burden on the industry with the environmentally sound management of the hazardous substances, the NEA is presently examining the possibility to grant exemptions from regulatory controls when the substances are present in low concentrations or as impurities. Companies may submit data such as safety data sheets and analytical data relevant to the examination to the NEA.

The list of hazardous chemicals proposed to be controlled include some chemical groups such as lewisites and nitrogen mustards. It is therefore more than 26 distinct chemicals that will be controlled as hazardous substances. The NEA will provide a list of the chemicals and their CAS Registry numbers that belong to these groups. As the list will not be complete, companies may consult with the NEA if more information is needed.